A photo taken on March 19, 2016 shows former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during the China Development Forum in Beijing. [Photo: People.com.cn]

Former top American diplomat Henry Kissinger has warned that China and the US need to work together to avoid "Thucydides Trap," or conflict as one power rises and the other looks to safeguard its position in the world.

The former U.S. secretary of state made the remark during a dialogue with former Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo at the China Development Forum in Beijing.

Kissinger said neither power has the intention to supersede the other, though the two have different views on issues like denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and issue of the South China Sea.

"China and the United States face a whole range of problems. They want to settle them. And if that is not done, then there's a danger. But we know how to avoid them. What needs to be done is to fill in the area between the short-term techniques and the long-term strategic objectives."Former Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo said all countries are inter-dependent on one another and their interests are interwoven into a community of common destiny.

He said it is necessary for all countries, especially China and the U.S., to face new threats and challenges together.

"Living in the same global village, no country - neither the U.S. nor China - can face the challenges on its own. Each 'household' in the village, especially big ones like the U.S. and China, must respect and cooperate with each other to face the challenges together. China and the U.S., the two major countries, must step on the road of building a new type of big-power relationship, which requires respect, cooperation and no confrontation to generate a win-win situation. This is the right choice and the only right choice, and there is no alternative way out."

The 2016 China Development Forum is sponsored by the Chinese State Council.

This year's forum is themed "China in the New Five-Year Plan" and highlights supply side reform.

The forum runs till Monday and has drawn senior officials, think tanks, and top business people from around the world.